10 Most Expensive Divorces in History

Marriage might be about love, but divorce, apparently, is about spreadsheets. When billionaires and A-listers split up, the paperwork alone could fund a small country, and the settlements that follow are often bigger than entire corporate acquisitions. We’re talking stock transfers, oil fortunes, and enough zeros to make an accountant sweat.

This list rounds up ten of the costliest divorces ever recorded, based on publicly reported settlement figures, court filings, and reputable financial reporting. We ranked them from merely jaw-dropping to truly absurd, counting down to the split that redefined what ‘expensive’ even means.

#10. Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving

Before prenups were standard practice among Hollywood power couples, Steven Spielberg and actress Amy Irving split in 1989 without one in place. The resulting settlement, reportedly around $100 million, was considered massive for its time and helped popularize the now-common industry habit of signing prenuptial agreements before saying ‘I do.’

California’s community property laws worked heavily in Irving’s favor since no prior agreement existed. The case became something of a cautionary tale whispered about in talent agencies for years afterward.

#9. Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey

Singer Neil Diamond’s split from his second wife, Marcia Murphey, in 1994 reportedly cost him around $150 million after 25 years of marriage. The settlement accounted for decades of songwriting royalties and touring income accumulated during their time together.

Murphey had also worked closely on his career behind the scenes, which factored into the size of the payout. It stands as one of the largest divorce settlements ever reported in the music industry.

#8. Michael Jordan and Juanita Jordan

Basketball legend Michael Jordan’s 2006 divorce from his first wife, Juanita, settled for a reported $168 million, making it one of the priciest celebrity splits of the mid-2000s. The couple had been together for 17 years, spanning the height of Jordan’s championship-winning career with the Chicago Bulls.

The settlement remains notable not just for its size but for how quietly it was handled compared to other celebrity splits of the era, and the figure is still cited as a benchmark in sports-world divorce comparisons.

#7. Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore

After nearly three decades of marriage, actor Mel Gibson and Robyn Moore divorced in 2011 with a settlement estimated at around $425 million, roughly half of Gibson’s fortune at the time under California’s community property rules. The couple had seven children together during their marriage.

The size of the payout reflected Gibson’s enormous earnings from box-office hits and directing royalties built up over the marriage. It remains one of the largest entertainment-industry settlements on record.

#6. Craig McCaw and Wendy McCaw

Telecom pioneer Craig McCaw, who made his fortune in the early cellular phone industry, divorced his wife Wendy in 1997 in a settlement reported at roughly $460 million. The payout was fueled by McCaw’s sale of his wireless company to AT&T just years earlier.

Wendy McCaw later used part of her settlement to purchase the Santa Barbara News-Press, becoming a notable figure in local media. The divorce is still cited as a landmark case in telecom-industry wealth disputes.

#5. Steve Wynn and Elaine Wynn

Casino mogul Steve Wynn and his wife Elaine divorced in 2010, with Elaine receiving a settlement including stock in Wynn Resorts valued at roughly $740 million at the time. Elaine remained a significant shareholder and board member of the company for years afterward, giving her lasting influence in the business she helped build.

The couple had actually divorced once before, in 1986, and remarried in 1991 before splitting again for good. Their on-and-off relationship made headlines throughout the Las Vegas business world.

#4. Harold Hamm and Sue Ann Hamm

Oil tycoon Harold Hamm, founder of Continental Resources, divorced his wife Sue Ann in 2015 following a trial that initially set her share at close to $1 billion before the figure was adjusted on appeal. The case drew attention for its courtroom debate over how much of Hamm’s fracking-era fortune was tied to shale oil price swings versus his own business skill.

Sue Ann, herself a geologist who had worked in the oil industry, played an active role in building the company during their marriage. The final settlement still ranks among the largest in American divorce history.

#3. Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica Ecclestone

Former Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone divorced his wife Slavica in 2009 after 23 years of marriage, with a settlement reported at around $1.2 billion, among the largest in British legal history. The couple had built an extraordinary art and property portfolio during their marriage, including homes across Europe.

Slavica, a former model, reportedly negotiated the settlement privately rather than through a lengthy public court battle. The sheer size of the payout made headlines across motorsport and business press alike.

#2. Rupert Murdoch and Anna Murdoch Mann

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s 1999 divorce from his second wife, Anna Murdoch Mann, settled for an estimated $1.7 billion after 31 years of marriage. The split happened remarkably fast, finalized within about two weeks, reportedly so Murdoch could remarry shortly afterward.

The settlement remains one of the largest involving a media empire, reflecting decades of accumulated News Corp holdings. It set a precedent often referenced whenever billionaire media divorces make the news.

#1. Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott

The 2019 divorce of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and novelist MacKenzie Scott stands as the most expensive in history, with Scott receiving a 4% stake in Amazon valued at roughly $38 billion at the time of the settlement. The split ended 25 years of marriage and made Scott one of the wealthiest women in the world overnight.

Rather than retreating from public life, Scott has since become known for giving away billions of dollars to charities at a rapid pace. No other divorce settlement in recorded history comes close to matching this figure.

Whatever lesson there is to learn here, it probably involves a prenup and a very good lawyer. These ten splits prove that when enormous fortunes meet failed marriages, the settlements can rival a small nation’s annual budget, and the stories behind them are almost as wild as the numbers themselves.